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Friday, March 18, 2011

The Frugal Garden: Homemade Insectide

Today my friend Sara jogged my memory by asking if I have a good recipe for a natural insecticide. So, I am happy to report that this insecticide is not only effective, but it is easy to make.

The Main Ingredient

Grate a bar of Kirk's Castile soap, then dissolve in a gallon of water. You may need to heat the water on the stove to help the soap completely dissolve. Now you have a gallon of concentrated insecticidal soap.

In a garden sprayer filled with a gallon of water add 1 - 3 Tbsps. of the soap concentrate. If you are doing preventative spraying add 1 Tbsp.; if you are fighting an infestation add 3 Tbsps. Mix this well, then spray liberally on your plants. Don't spray your plants when the sun is at it's highest. Mornings and evenings are best.

This Kirk's based insecticide works well on insects. If you have worms you need to move to a BT based product.

Spray your garden once a week or after rain to keep insects at bay. Use it more frequently if you are seeing insect damage on your plants.

About Me

For most of my adult life (60 years) I have consciously lived a simple, frugal life. This was a lifestyle choice for me, but with today's poor economy, it has become a life necessity. I hope to share my frugal philosophy with others, hopefully helping them and learning a few tips for my own use.
Now for a bit of personal information. I am a Mennonite, mother of an seventeen year old girl and wife of 37 years. I spend my time running my household the old fashioned way, cooking from scratch, canning our food, gardening, sewing, knitting, spinning (not on a bike), cleaning, writing book reviews and worshipping.